


Vividly

by ninitails



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Animal Death, Character Death, Heavy Angst, M/M, No Happy Ending Fest, One-Sided Attraction, Unhappy Ending, Unrequited Love, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22861282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninitails/pseuds/ninitails
Summary: Sometimes it's not the person that picks the pet they want to keep, but the pet that picks their owner.A story where Sehun meets Vivi—or where Vivi finds Sehun.
Relationships: Oh Sehun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 30
Kudos: 46
Collections: No Happy Ending Fest - 2019





	Vividly

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt #:** 100  
>  **Prompt:** Hachiko re-telling, except it's Sehun and Vivi.  
>  **Pairing/Main character(s):** Sehun, Vivi  
>  **Side Characters(if any):** Chanyeol, Jongin, Baekhyun, Hana (OC), Junmyeon, Kyungsoo, Yixing  
>  **Word count:** 11,149  
>  **Warning(s)/Additional Tag(s):** Major character death, heavy angst, mentions of animal death, relationship struggles, one-sided feelings  
>  **Author's note:** To the prompter, I apologize if the story doesn't live up to your expectations. I loved your prompt so much, but I felt like I was writing this story a few years too early to truly put this wonderful bond between a human and a dog into fitting words. I hope you still enjoy reading it! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try and write this. P.S. Chanyeol's absence throughout the story is intended.

There’s a bunch of crumpled paper with messy handwriting lying around in Chanyeol’s personal studio. The man himself holds his head in his hands while Yixing sits nearby and scribbles something in his notebook, occasionally looking up to check on his friend.

“I know it’s the anniversary and you want it to be special, but I don’t think overthinking like that is good for anyone, especially your mental health,” Yixing says as he puts his notebook aside and reaches out to place a hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder. “It doesn’t have to be a happy song. Don’t force yourself.”

“Yeah, I know that.” Chanyeol lifts his head, picking up his pen once more. “I just want it to be something meaningful. Something that wouldn’t be limited to the two of us. I’ve written a lot of love songs for Sehun.”

Silence settles between them as Chanyeol taps his pen against the empty sheet impatiently while Yixing tries to think of something that would help his friend. Normally, Chanyeol never struggles with writing songs; all the lyrics and melodies come to him so easily, but Yixing knows that this one has to be special and Chanyeol will accept nothing less, even from himself.

“Wait,” Yixing sits up straight all of a sudden, curiosity written all over his face. “You mentioned once that he had a dog and that they shared a wonderful bond, but you never told me the full story.”

“Well, it’s a long one,” Chanyeol chuckles as he thinks back to it, all traces of stress suddenly leaving his body. How can he ever forget? Sehun probably loved the puppy more than he loved Chanyeol, and, surprisingly, Chanyeol was perfectly fine with that.

“I have time,” Yixing reassures him and Chanyeol settles into a more comfortable position against the wall, wondering if he will be able to put such a unique memory into proper words.

—

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_5th of July_**

Summer heat and a black suit don’t go well together. Sehun learns that quickly when he’s sitting on a bench under the relentless sun with a paper cup of iced coffee in his hand. Neither the coffee nor the breeze in the park does anything to prevent him from sweating like crazy.

“Yeah, the meeting went well. They were really nice to me. I think I might have a chance once they see me in action,” he squeezes the phone in his hand a little bit tighter out of excitement.

In action means dancing. Sehun has been a dancer since middle school where a certain boy first dragged him into the practice room and didn’t let go of him until they were completely out of breath, lungs aching from dancing to various beats for hours. After that, they teamed up for many competitions in school, but after graduation, Sehun dances alone. He misses the company occasionally, but never whines about it to anyone, not even to the boy himself.

Nowadays, he’s aiming to become a dance teacher for younger dancers who still haven’t chosen their favorite style and need some professional guidance. That’s what the meeting was all about. If Sehun’s lucky, he’ll be hired by one of the biggest studios in Seoul.

“I’m going there again next week,” he nods and takes a sip of his coffee. “And for the love of God, Chanyeol, you’re not forcing me into a suit again. I feel like I’m about to start melting in it.”

Chanyeol is Sehun’s boyfriend. He’s a well-known music producer and he’s also the one who got Sehun a chance to meet up with people in charge of the dance studio; all that for a small price of a new album produced by Chanyeol that they could use for their upcoming dance practices.

“Yes, yes. I owe you, I know that,” Sehun rolls his eyes good-naturedly.

He’s about to say something else when he notices a ball of white fluff running straight at him from across the park. Squinting his eyes, Sehun realizes that it’s a dog. He watches the puppy stop at his feet and look up at him expectantly, pink tongue sticking out cutely. Focusing on the phone call becomes much harder when there’s a distraction right in front of him.

“I have to go, Chanyeol. I’ll talk to you later. Miss me!”

And with that, he hangs up.

There’s no way that an adorable puppy like that is in the park on his own. Sehun looks up and scans the area, hoping to see someone looking for their dog, but nobody even glances in his direction. People are busy chattering among themselves, walking their dogs or looking after their playing children. It’s a beautiful day, after all, so there’s barely any empty space in the park. Puzzled, Sehun looks down at the small creature again and reaches down to let the puppy sniff his fingers.

“Where did you come from? Someone’s gotta be looking for you.” A chuckle slips past Sehun’s lips when he realizes that the dog is trying to lick his hand. “You’re a friendly one, aren’t you?”

He spends another five minutes petting the dog’s head and being amazed by the softness of its fur before he gets seriously concerned about the dog’s owners. Nobody has come looking for it.

Fortunately, there’s a collar tied around the puppy’s neck and upon taking a closer look, Sehun notices a little note that says “Lucky Paw: Adopt-A-Pet” which immediately clears things up. 

He’s heard about events like this where animal shelters give people a chance to meet their potential new buddies outside of the gloomy building. That only means that the puppy ran off on its own and now he’s in charge of bringing it back.

It doesn’t take long to spot people crowding around cages filled with dogs of varying ages and sizes. Carrying the white puppy in his arms, Sehun notices that the dogs receiving the most attention are the few purebreds while mutts are stuck whimpering for attention with little to no response. While he thinks that’s a little sad, he looks down to realize that what he’s holding in his arms looks like a white poodle.

“Vivi! There you are!”

Sehun turns to look at the young girl who approaches him with her arms stretched out. She’s wearing a shirt with the shelter’s logo on it and that alone shows Sehun that she’s not just someone who wants to snatch the dog away and run off with it although the chances of that happening are quite low in the first place.

“Looks like you’ve got a wild one on your hands,” he grins as he hands the puppy back to the girl. “Is it a poodle?”

“No, it’s a bichon frise, but they’re often mistaken for poodles.” She ruffles Vivi’s fur, but doesn’t spend too much time holding onto the puppy before it’s back in its cage.

Sehun briefly wonders if all dogs get this treatment from the shelter workers and other volunteers. They deserve more love than just the necessary interactions.

However, his thoughts are interrupted when the girl speaks up again.

“I’m actually surprised. We’ve kept him in our shelter for quite a while, mostly because he’s a purebred and those get taken in faster than mixed-breed dogs, but Vivi just doesn’t seem to like people. He tries to bite anyone who puts their hands too close. And yet you were carrying him in your arms. It’s like a miracle.”

Genuine surprise shows up on Sehun’s face as well. It’s hard to believe that after witnessing just how friendly Vivi was with him just five minutes ago.

“Really? That’s weird. He was licking my fingers and didn’t seem to be against me petting him.”

“Well, maybe,” she pauses before locking the cage and gives Sehun an expectant look. “Maybe you two are meant to be. Maybe Vivi chose you and that’s why he was rejecting everyone else.”

Before Sehun gets to answer, the girl opens the cage once again and Vivi bolts out of it only to end up by Sehun’s feet, circling around him happily. A few other people look back at them and Sehun hears them muttering something about Vivi barking at them endlessly when they had approached his cage earlier today.

Victoriously, the girl claps her hands. “I knew it! You must adopt him.”

It’s a wonderful feeling to be accepted by an animal who has a tendency to reject everyone else, but the summer heat isn’t bad enough to mess with Sehun’s head to the point where he would agree to take the dog in without thinking about it seriously for a moment. 

First of all, he’s renting an apartment. He clearly remembers that pets aren’t allowed in the building. Moving to a different place is an option too expensive to consider for Sehun’s financial situation at the moment. It’s like the stars have aligned against him.

“That’s sweet,” he heaves a sigh as he crouches down to press his fingers into Vivi’s fur, the softness providing some comfort. “But I’m afraid I can’t take him. My apartment building doesn’t allow pets.”

The atmosphere becomes gloomy in a matter of seconds with the exception of Vivi that keeps bouncing around Sehun’s outstretched hand like nothing else in the world matters. Sometimes he envies the animals for not being able to understand human speech.

“Oh, that’s such a shame…” The girl trails off and bends down to secure a leash to the collar around Vivi’s neck while the dog is distracted. Once it clicks into place, she gives it a gentle tug, but doesn’t dare to pull the puppy away from Sehun. “There’s limited space in the shelter and we get new dogs every single day. If Vivi doesn’t find an owner during the event today, we might have to put it down to make space for new arrivals.”

Sehun’s blood turns ice cold in his veins in a matter of seconds. He shifts his eyes downwards until he locks gazes with the dog at his feet, fluffy tail wagging like he doesn’t know what’s waiting for him tomorrow. 

Why does a pet deserve an ending like that just because humans are incapable of taking a four-legged white cloud under their wing? Vivi did nothing bad to reach this outcome.

But guilt reaches Sehun’s heart too, because he’s one of the people that are unable to pick up an animal as a new best friend, unable to give them a much-needed home.

This realization makes Sehun regret ever sitting down on that bench for a phone call. Maybe he didn’t have to face the reality like this if he had decided to call Chanyeol on his way home already.

But Sehun knows better. Things that are meant to be—they’ll find their way into people’s lives one way or another. And if this meeting was meant to be, then he’s right where he needs to be.

“I...” He trails off, lost in his own thoughts for a moment. Lifting his head once again, Sehun notices just how many dogs are waiting for a new home. “All of these dogs are going to be put down if they don’t find a home today?”

The girl nods and it looks like she does so against her will. She probably hates this part of the job too.

It’s hard to find a home for every single dog, that much Sehun knows.

“I really can’t take him, but can I have the shelter’s address and number? I'll try asking around, maybe some friends of mine need a companion.”

A bit of life returning to her cheeks, the girl extends a hand with a white business card from her pocket.

Sehun stares down at it.

_Lucky Paw._

It better be lucky for Vivi.

  
  
  
  
  
  


The original plan was to get home, slip out of the suit, fill a bath with water and sit in there for at least an hour until his muscles would feel grateful for the much-needed relief after a stressful day.

Now Sehun’s stuck calling his relatives and old friends that barely recognize his voice through the speaker.

That’s the life of someone who doesn’t like social interactions too much. Sehun likes to live in his own bubble of comfort, surrounded by a small group of people he trusts and loves.

But none of the people he tries to call want a new pet. Most of them already have cats or dogs of their own while others are too busy to take care of an animal which needs love more than anything.

Knowing that Chanyeol already has his hands full while pursuing his passion for music production, Sehun doesn’t even dare to consider asking his boyfriend for help. 

And Jongin, his best friend from middle school, has just taken in a third rescue puppy earlier this year. Sehun can’t ask him to pick up fourth one.

When all hope seems lost, even his keys slip out of his hold as he tries to unlock the door to his apartment. They drop to the floor with a sharp clink that echoes through the building.

Dejected, Sehun struggles to force himself to bend over and pick them up. Instead, he blanks out as he stares down at the variety of keys and keychains on the floor.

“Are you okay?”

He turns to face the owner of the voice and immediately bows his head to the neighbor who lives next door. Sehun’s not social enough to know his name, but he recognizes the face – he’s seen the male unlock the door next to his on some occasions.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t see you. I shouldn’t be cursing like that.”

The neighbor laughs. “No, it’s fine. I really don’t care if you curse or not. But are you okay? You seem annoyed.”

A sigh slips past Sehun’s lips as his shoulders drop in defeat.

“I’m not annoyed. Just out of options.”

Discussing life problems with your neighbor might not be the best idea, especially since Sehun doesn’t even know his name, but at the same time, he feels like he could settle for any kind of relief at the moment, even if it comes in a shape like this.

“There’s a dog at the shelter that I want adopted, but I can’t take it in myself and nobody I know seems to have a place for a little puppy,” he confesses.

“Oh, dogs!” The neighbor exclaims, clasping his hands together. “Man, there was a time when I wanted to get a corgi as well, but Hana was so against it.”

Confused, Sehun blinks. “Hana?”

“Yeah, she’s—"

_Smack._

“Your landlady. I’m Hana.”

Both men turn towards the woman behind them who’s holding a roll of newspaper that she just smacked the guy with. Obviously, Sehun knows her. She’s his landlady after all, but he never bothered to find out that her name was Hana.

As if electrocuted, he bows his head once again. The landlady isn’t that old, but he still wants to show respect for people older than him.

“Good evening.”

“Hi, Sehun,” she smiles in return. “Pay Baekhyun no mind, I rarely hear him say anything smart.”

So that’s his name.

Somehow, it feels like Sehun’s trapped between two people who have dated, broken up, but remain on good terms and roast each other on daily basis. It would be rude to confirm that theory and, needless to say, he feels a little bit awkward.

“Nice to meet you, Baekhyun,” he says, but gets ignored completely because Baekhyun turns to whine at Hana.

“That’s not true! I was just telling him how I wanted to get a corgi once and you didn’t let me.”

“Why are you telling him that?”

“Well, because...” Baekhyun turns to face Sehun and exhales, probably knowing where this conversation is going. “Sehun wants to get a dog.”

Hana turns to look at Sehun as well and Sehun feels like he’s been shoved into the very corner and it’s uncomfortable to the point where his skin crawls.

“You know that dogs aren’t allowed in our apartment building, right...?” She starts out slowly and Sehun nods.

Honestly, he just wants the ground to swallow him up right now.

Baekhyun probably notices the tense atmosphere because he rushes to divert the topic from impending rejection. “What breed is it? Is it a corgi as well?”

“It’s a bichon frise.”

“Never heard of a breed like that,” Baekhyun hums thoughtfully.

Relaxing a little, Sehun’s about to compare Vivi to a breed that’s more well known, but Hana cuts him off as soon as he says the first word.

“They’re like poodles. They’re small and they don’t shed, but they need extra care and attention or else their mental health suffers. Bichon frise is a breed that’s not recommended for people who work long hours and rarely spend time with their pets.”

Baekhyun gapes.

From the way she talks, Sehun realizes that Hana knows a lot about dogs and their breeds. Or perhaps just this breed in particular. He shifts from one foot to another, unsure if there’s anything he wants to add.

Nobody dares to speak up after that and before Hana leaves them on their own, she once again reminds them that her answer remains the same.

“No dogs allowed in this apartment building.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_6th of July_**

The second part of the application for the dance studio is still a whole week away and that gives Sehun plenty of time to prepare for it without a rush.

Chanyeol had agreed to let him use one of his bigger studios for dance practice and that’s exactly where Sehun plans to spend the whole day. If he’s lucky, he might even catch Chanyeol in the same building. They rarely get to spend time with each other because his boyfriend is always running around meeting famous people and Sehun likes to be away from that.

Sometimes, he thinks that they need to make more time for each other in order to make this relationship work, but more often than not, he brushes off that thought as he doesn’t want to take Chanyeol’s dream away from him.

With a toothbrush in his mouth, Sehun stares at his own reflection in the mirror. There’s too much to lose in order to find out whether what they have is real or not. And routine is an addictive thing.

His phone vibrates against the table in the living room and Sehun rinses his mouth before walking over to check his notifications. Much to his disappointment, there’s a short message from Chanyeol.

_“Won’t make it for dinner tonight. Sorry! :(”_

However, he doesn’t get the chance to worry about the cancelled dinner because someone has suddenly decided to glue their finger to his doorbell, making it ring continuously until Sehun finally opens the door.

He recognizes the face immediately and bows his head, stepping aside in case the landlady wants to come in and check the state of the apartment. A clean freak would be a nickname too weird for Sehun, but he does keep his place pretty clean, mostly because it helps him keep his thoughts organized as well.

Hana steps inside without a single word exchanged between them and starts looking around like she’s searching for something. Traces of rodents? Cockroaches? Sehun remembers her doing that before when they did have a tiny cockroach problem. It’s only when she whistles that he realizes what she’s actually looking for.

He opens his mouth to reassure that he didn’t bring any kind of a dog home, but before he gets a chance to speak up, Hana turns around and pokes her finger against Sehun’s chest, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“I’m sure your parents are very nice people and they’ve raised you right, so you’re not hiding a dog somewhere in the closet or something.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Sehun shakes his head and motions towards the bedroom. “You can go and check for yourself if you don’t believe me.”

“That’s not the point.” Her voice drops to a whisper as she closes the front door. “If anything, I think having a dog would be really good for you. You don’t seem like you have many friends and your boyfriend—”

Pause.

“…Is he even your boyfriend? I saw you kiss him like twice, but you never really bring him home.”

The corners of Sehun’s lips jerk upwards in an attempt of a smile, but it doesn’t last. Chanyeol is always busy, busy, busy. On top of that, Sehun’s not sure whether he likes someone else pointing out how introverted he is, especially when it’s put in such a negative light.

“Anyway,” she continues when Sehun remains silent. “The thing is… If I let you bring a dog home, I’m never gonna hear the end of Baekhyun’s whining. My mother, who was the previous owner of this apartment building, didn’t want any pets in here because she didn’t want to deal with remodeling apartments and asking the tenants for damage payment when the pets ruin them. I followed my mother’s advice when Baekhyun asked me whether he could keep a dog, but this time, I’m convinced that you’d be a good dog dad.”

Head tilted to the side, Sehun blinks in confusion. There’s a hint of excitement blooming in his veins when he realizes that he might be able to adopt Vivi, but he refuses to ride on that joy until he’s sure that he has permission. “What are you trying to say?”

Hana heaves a sigh.

“The girl you met yesterday at the adoption event in the park—she’s my best friend’s daughter. I went to visit them yesterday in the evening and she just couldn’t shut up about this boy who stole the heart of a bichon frise, the one they had a lot of trouble taking care of. She often tells me about dogs and cats they’re trying to get adopted when I visit them, but I didn’t expect you to be that boy from her story. It only clicked when you mentioned the breed of the dog you wanted to adopt.”

“Wait, you’re kidding me.” It’s already hard for Sehun to hide his surprise. Until yesterday, he didn’t even know his landlady’s name, but now he finds out that he has accidentally met someone she’s close to as well? Life’s a wild ride.

When everything seems too good to be true, Sehun decides that it must be a trap. Maybe Baekhyun is standing somewhere behind the front door, ready to film his reaction when Hana tells Sehun that she’s just joking.

Eyes narrowed, he speaks up. “But you said no dogs in this apartment building.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Hana nods. “Yes, but I could make an exception. I don’t want to change the rules altogether, so I might have to deal with a lot of backlash from the other tenants. Especially Baekhyun. His apartment is always such a mess—imagine keeping a dog there. It would start smelling in a week.”

Her words seem genuine.

Unable to believe his ears, Sehun has to brush off the desire to reach up and rub his eyes in case he’s still dreaming. Maybe he should’ve befriended the landlady a long time ago, if the friendship comes with such benefits and exceptions.

“So, I’m allowed to adopt Vivi?” He asks, still unsure.

That’s when Hana turns serious once again, her piercing gaze focused on Sehun.

“What kind of a job are you aiming for?”

“A dance teacher for young teens.”

“Do you have to travel a lot?”

“No, not really. It’s not my desire to become someone famous. I just want to do what I love, which is dancing.”

“What about your boyfriend? What does he think about pets?”

“He likes dogs, I think? He’s just too busy to take care of one.”

“Right,” she nods and reaches up to place her hand on Sehun’s shoulder. It’s like a congratulations for passing this test that probably wouldn’t change anything either way. “You should go pick him up right away. I already told Nayeon to get him ready for you.”

Sehun pauses. “Nayeon?”

“Yes, the girl from the shelter. Now go on, Vivi’s waiting for you.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


There’s not even a chance for Sehun to catch his breath with all the paperwork that needs to be signed and all the joy within him that needs to be contained. Despite that, he still rushes around with a smile on his face ready to rip his cheeks apart and hugs Vivi close to his chest when he’s finally given the chance.

Now he’s the official owner of the dog and since it’s the first puppy he’s raising on his own, he’s a bit worried that he might not be able to take care of Vivi properly. But as if to dismiss his worries, Vivi barks in his hold and enthusiastically attempts to lick at Sehun’s chin. They’ll figure it out together.

Sehun called Jongin on his way to the animal hospital, but the young vet is still surprised to see his best friend with a dog in his arms.

“I had accepted the fact that I’ll never see you at my workplace for a reason other than you just wishing to see me,” he laughs and the sound of it reassures Sehun even more.

His best friend had ditched the future of a dancer to open up an animal hospital. It’s a small place and Jongin is the only person working there, taking care of everything all by himself, but the little number of animals that are brought for treatment doesn’t make it hard at all.

Sehun still remembers being upset that Jongin didn’t want to pursue the same dream as him. But at least now, if any trouble with Vivi arises, he can always ask Jongin for advice.

“I never planned to adopt a dog—or any pet either. Vivi just kind of found me on his own. Or at least that’s what they told me at the animal shelter. Maybe they’re desperate,” he covers Vivi’s ears while saying that, but honestly, Sehun doesn’t really care about the shelter’s true intentions. He’s already noticed the growing attachment to Vivi, whether it was encouraged by the shelter or not.

“They do that sometimes, but can you blame them? There’s too many homeless dogs and not enough caretakers for them.”

“Ah, be careful. I’ve been told that he bites,” Sehun warns Jongin when he reaches out to feel Vivi’s body for a quick examination.

But much to his surprise, Vivi doesn’t show any signs of aggressive behavior. The dog even lifts his front paw when Jongin presses a gentle hand to his stomach.

“He seems pretty young. Probably not even a year old.”

“He’s about six months old. He didn’t have a collar on him when some old lady found him and the owners never responded to flyers, so he doesn’t have any documents to prove his breed. But they said that it’s a bichon frise for sure.”

“Well yeah,” Jongin nods and leaves Sehun at the examination table. “They’re pretty unique, hard to mix up.”

A light blush appears on Sehun’s cheeks when he remembers that he thought Vivi was a white poodle. And the girl at the shelter told him that they’re often mistaken for white poodles as well. It’s probably just Jongin who knows all the breeds like the back of his hand. Sehun has always been impressed by Jongin’s knowledge when it comes to animals.

“How did the meeting go? I expected you to call me and tell me all about it yesterday,” Jongin speaks while pushing various bottles aside until he finally finds the right one. Then he takes out a pill and puts it into a clear zip top bag before handing it to Sehun. “He doesn’t seem to have any visible issues and the shelter wouldn’t give you a sick dog without telling you about it first, so I’m just going to give you a pill to make sure he doesn’t have any worms. Considering his size, give him a half of that together with his food tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Sehun pushes the clear bag with the pill into his pocket and takes out his wallet, but Jongin just waves his hand in a dismissive manner. Heaving a pleased sigh, he continues. “I’m sorry though, I was busy yesterday. But the studio was pretty impressed with the footage from high school that I showed them. They asked if you were planning to join together with me.”

Jongin’s expression softens and Sehun quickly recognizes that apologetic look. It’s the same look Jongin gave him when he first told him that he wanted to pick a different career path. It’s the same look that almost tore their friendship apart, but no matter how betrayed and angry Sehun felt, he couldn’t kick his best friend out of his life easily. He didn’t just need him as a dance partner, he needed him as a friend who was almost like a brother to him.

It wasn’t easy to accept that he would be practicing on his own from then on. There were times when Sehun wanted to give up just like Jongin and pick a different future goal to work towards. But in the end, he would always fall back to dancing. It felt like home to him. It was only sad that that wasn’t the case for Jongin.

“Don’t worry, I won’t pester you to dance with me anymore. We’re over that, right?”

That’s right. They had grown out of that a long time ago. Both of them now twenty-six, with Jongin just a little bit older than Sehun; their friendship is a lot more mature than it used to be.

With that said, Jongin seems to relax. “So that means you’re hired?”

“Not yet. They still want to see me dancing in front of them, but the chances of me getting hired are pretty high.” Sehun can’t help but look down when Vivi starts pushing his wet nose against his hands, the gesture appearing rather confusing to him.

“I think that’s supposed to be encouragement,” Jongin laughs, having noticed Vivi’s antics. “But I’m happy for you. Looks like everything’s going great for you.”

 _Everything_ —Sehun can only wish.

“Either way, if Vivi needs anything, don’t hesitate to call me. And of course, if you need an ear or something yourself, I’ll always make time for you. You know that, right?”

Sehun acknowledges that with a nod, despite the huge urge _not_ to dump his worries on his best friend. He knows that holding things inside will eventually lead to everything bursting out without a notice, but opening up seems a lot harder than it probably is.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_7th of July_**

After a quick trip to the store, Sehun has stocked up on dog food that’s going to last him at least a few months. He belatedly remembers that he should’ve checked which brand Vivi likes the most, but the most he can do now is hope that he won’t have to throw it all out when his new companion throws a tantrum over the taste.

More than anything, Sehun is just glad that he didn’t run into Baekhyun on his way home. He really wouldn’t know how to deal with his neighbor if the other suddenly decided to start yelling about the unfair treatment in the apartment building. Sehun’s gonna leave that up to Hana; she’s always been great at handling conflicts between neighbors.

Sehun sits down on the couch in his living room, dance practice now long forgotten, and observes how Vivi sniffs every piece of furniture in the room. He seems to really like the smell of the armchair by the end of the coffee table, but the dog is yet too small to be able to climb on top of it. With Sehun’s help, however, Vivi soon settles against one of the pillows on the armchair and stares back at his owner with big eyes.

“It’s gonna be your home now, Vivi.”

He makes a mental note that Vivi needs a proper dog bed to sleep in, but he also remembers Jongin’s hilarious dog stories—how he buys blankets for his puppies and they still stubbornly choose to sleep in Jongin’s bed instead. Vivi might just do the same.

Phone held up in front of the dog, Sehun takes a picture of Vivi sitting comfortably on the armchair and sends the image to Chanyeol with a caption that says “He took your spot” to which Chanyeol replies with “You got a dog?” and many emojis with heart eyes.

Sehun was right; Chanyeol likes dogs.

They exchange texts for a little bit longer, mostly just catching up and asking about each other’s day, and when Sehun looks up from his device, he sees Vivi fast asleep with his little nose hanging off the edge of the armchair. The white puppy looks so cute that suddenly Sehun understands why all the cat and dog lovers take so many pictures of their pets. This kind of cuteness needs to be captured; and so, he snaps a few more pictures.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_13th of July_**

Barely half a week passes before Baekhyun shows up at Sehun’s doorstep with a huge grin on his face. It turns out that Hana has told him about the change of her heart and instead of feeling betrayed, like Sehun expected him to, Baekhyun looks rather happy. Sehun has no choice but to let him meet Vivi.

“So, this is a bichon frise? He really does look like a poodle.”

“Vivi,” Sehun corrects for the nth time, but Baekhyun pays no mind to it. He’s too busy burying his fingers in the dog’s fur and searching for the spot that makes Vivi the happiest when he rubs it.

Sehun is really starting to think that the shelter had lied to him about Vivi being an aggressive dog, because he once again embarrasses himself by warning Baekhyun about it and seeing Vivi cuddle up to the man right after.

“Did it come with the name or did you come up with it?”

Sehun is momentarily surprised by the question, because he hasn’t really thought about that.

“No, that’s the name he had before I adopted him. And if you think about it, it kind of fits? Vi—like victory. It’s a victory for the both of us.”

“That’s true,” Baekhyun nods. “I still have no idea how you convinced Hana to let you get the dog.”

“That’s the thing… I didn’t do any convincing or anything. She just came to me the next day and said that I should get him.”

“Maybe she has a soft spot for this particular breed. She seemed to know so much about it, even I was surprised by her knowledge,” Baekhyun hums in disappointment when Vivi finally hops off his lap and returns to Sehun’s side. No matter what, the dog just doesn’t stray too far from his owner.

Sehun wants to tell Baekhyun about the girl from the shelter and how she was the reason why Hana changed her mind, but he decides that he shouldn’t be gossiping about someone else’s life. He wouldn’t want Hana to tell people he doesn’t know about his life or friends either.

Instead, Sehun focuses on another thing he’s curious about.

“By the way, I thought you’d be upset that she didn’t let you keep a dog, yet made an exception for me. But you don’t seem that bothered by it.”

Baekhyun shrugs.

“She told me why she didn’t want me to raise a dog and honestly, I kind of agree with her. I’m not really good at taking care of animals. I realized that when I was younger and my parents got a little puppy for me and my brother and he ended up taking care of the dog the entire time while I just enjoyed playing with him and that’s it. Not a good owner at all, eh?”

Unsure what to say, Sehun offers a sympathetic smile which Baekhyun accepts with a smile of his own.

“It’s fine. At least I can come over once in a while and play with Vivi. You wouldn’t mind that, would you?”

“Not at all, but there is one condition,” Sehun chuckles when he sees his neighbor’s determined face. “It’s nothing too difficult. We’re just gonna have to become friends if you want to coddle Vivi.”

A victorious whistle catches Vivi’s attention.

“Oh, easy.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_15th of September_**

There are some things that still make Sehun a bit anxious, but having Vivi around helps him push those worries aside most of the time. And yet, it still makes him feel bitter when Jongin makes time to visit him before his own boyfriend.

Of course, their jobs are completely different and perhaps Jongin’s job requires less running around, but that just makes Sehun think that he had made a mistake when he agreed to date a man who was striving to become famous.

It’s a toxic thought and Sehun knows that, so he pushes it to the back of his mind and greets his best friend with a hug tighter than usual. As expected, Jongin doesn’t notice it—or even if he does, he doesn’t comment on it and Sehun’s grateful for that.

“Vivi’s fur is getting long… You might need to take him to a pet groomer soon,” Jongin says when they’re sitting on the carpeted floor with their legs stretched out while Vivi chases a shoelace with his eyes, making no actual attempt at touching it. Sehun gives up when Vivi doesn’t move and picks up his eyes to look at Jongin.

“An actual pet groomer? I thought you’d be able to do it for me,” he teases.

“Unfortunately, I’m merely a vet. Pet grooming isn’t part of my daily schedule.”

“That’s a shame,” Sehun pouts. “You’d probably be good at it.”

“Enough with the compliments.”

Clicking his tongue, Jongin reaches out to smack Sehun’s shoulder and Sehun lets out a pained sound while leaning away, but what happens next surprises them both.

Jumping up from the comfortable position on the floor, Vivi bares his teeth at Jongin with a dangerous growl. Or at least as dangerous as it can be for a small puppy.

Sehun’s heard of dogs being protective of their owners, but he never expected Vivi to be that kind of a dog, especially seeing how lazy he tends to be when people are trying to play with him.

If Jongin tries to extend his hand towards Sehun again, the growl gets a little louder and when Jongin doesn’t listen to the warning, Vivi actually sinks his teeth into his pants and pulls hard enough to rip the fabric.

“Vivi, no!” Sehun yells as he tries to get the dog off Jongin’s leg, but Jongin himself doesn’t seem frightened or even surprised.

“That’s good—he’s protecting you. It’s my fault for smacking his owner.”

When Vivi finally releases Jongin’s clothes, Sehun allows himself to sit back with a tired groan. Who knew that holding back such a small dog could be so exhausting?

“I guess the shelter didn’t lie about your dog being aggressive.”

Hearing that, Sehun doesn’t shy away from smacking Jongin’s shoulder too. That seems to surprise not only the dog, but Jongin as well since Sehun isn’t the kind of person to get upset easily. And even if he gets angry, he rarely acts upon it and keeps it to himself instead.

“Don’t provoke him! And don’t encourage him to be mean to my friends,” he whines at his friend first and then his attention turns to Vivi. “And you. You’re not allowed to bite or growl at people who are precious to me, you got that?”

Vivi barks as if he was actually able to understand that (maybe he did?) and Sehun releases his tight hold only to watch his dog slide off his lap and press his little tongue against Jongin’s hand as an apology. That puts a smile on Jongin’s face.

“Vivi, good. Don’t ever do that again,” Sehun says while wagging his finger in the air.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_23th of December_**

When Sehun and Chanyeol first started dating, Chanyeol really liked pampering Sehun with little souvenirs that he got from wherever he traveled to - new cities, new countries. However, instead of giving them to Sehun personally, he had a courier, who was also a good friend of his, deliver all of them.

That’s how Sehun came to know Junmyeon—from calls every once in a while, in order to find out which delivery time is the most convenient for the both of them.

Chanyeol’s habits haven’t changed one bit.

Junmyeon turns out to be really surprised when he hears a dog barking in the apartment building where pets, according to his limited knowledge, aren’t allowed.

After Sehun retrieves the package, he sits Junmyeon down for a cup of coffee where he also tells him how Vivi became a part of their family.

Vivi seems to like Junmyeon, judging by how he bumps his head against Junmyeon’s leg, obviously asking for head pats. And he gets them easily, too.

“He’s like a little angel,” Junmyeon tells him and Sehun just laughs, unwilling to argue that Vivi resembles a cloud more than an angel.

When Junmyeon leaves to deliver the rest of the packages in his bag, Sehun finally sits down to open his.

He already knows what to expect.

Chanyeol was always a huge lover of everything that hangs in the sky - the sun, the moon, the stars, every little planet. He often buys souvenirs for Sehun that have those elements attached to it.

What he finds in the package this time, though, isn’t exactly for him. It’s a dog’s collar with a little pendant that looks like a planet with a ring attached to it.

“Pfft, he’s trying to convert you too, Vivi,” Sehun chuckles while securing the new collar around the dog’s neck. The old one he got from the animal shelter is starting to look rather worn down.

It’s a gift that he really appreciates getting—not that he hates any gift from Chanyeol, but some of them indeed serve little to no purpose for Sehun. For example, a children’s book about the stars. What is Sehun going to do with that?

Now that Vivi has a brand-new collar, Sehun considers getting a new leash as well, but it turns out that Vivi is obedient enough to be walked without one, never running away too far and always returning when called by the name, no matter how interesting the brush or another dog nearby looks.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_20th of March_**

There comes a time when Sehun’s sleep is disturbed by quiet whimpering. At first, he thinks that Vivi is just having a nightmare, but when his fingers collide with a nose too warm and dry, Sehun doesn’t think twice before dialing Jongin’s number in the middle of the night.

His best friend rushes over to his place with an emergency kit, both of them hoping that the issue doesn’t require anything more serious than that. Jongin’s capable of many things, but difficult operations might just be out of his league for now.

It takes a few gentle rubs from experienced hands before Vivi is throwing up green on the floor and that’s enough for Jongin to know that Vivi has probably eaten some plant that wasn’t really good for a dog’s stomach.

“Did you see him chewing on anything outside?”

Sehun needs a few moments to gather himself, having entered a panicked state. Jongin reaches out to take his hand, giving it a squeeze.

“A little girl gave Vivi a flower when we went outside today and he chewed on the stem of it the whole time. Is it bad?”

“What flower was it?”

“I think… A peony?”

“Oh, phew,” Jongin relaxes immediately. “Then he’s safe. Peonies have a toxin in their stem that’s really bad for dogs if ingested in huge amounts, but if he chewed on only one of those, then the worst of it has already passed. He’s thrown it up.”

Sehun can’t explain how relieved he feels to hear that.

He spends the rest of the night by Vivi’s side, both of them covered by the same blanket, and when the morning comes, it’s like Vivi was never sick in the first place. Sehun still ditches dance practice to make sure that things are really back to normal.

  
  
  
  


In the end, despite all the skipped dance practice, Sehun easily becomes a new dance teacher for the youngsters. The studio is welcoming and the dancers are nice and keen to learn more moves, but he makes sure not to spend more time there than necessary. He can’t keep Vivi waiting at home for too long.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_8th of April_**

It doesn’t take too much time for Baekhyun to become a regular guest at Sehun’s place, almost to the point where he walks in like he owns the apartment.

Sehun doesn’t mind that too much, because no matter how annoying his neighbor might seem at times, he still remains respectful and never crosses any kind of boundaries. It’s also nice to have someone to talk to when Jongin is working long hours at his animal hospital. Sehun completely ignores the fact that Baekhyun probably comes over for Vivi first and him second. 

This time, his neighbor has various papers spread out on the coffee table, leaving no space for tea mugs that Sehun has just brought from the kitchen.

As if to help him out with that, Vivi snatches one sheet away and begins chewing on it while Baekhyun’s not paying attention to his surroundings.

“Vivi isn’t just some mutt, right?” He keeps on talking excitedly while Sehun sips his tea. “You should definitely bring him to a conformation show.”

“What’s that?”

Baekhyun holds up a sheet—it’s an advertisement for an upcoming show and the dog showcased on the sheet looks exactly like Vivi.

“It’s a dog show where the judges evaluate individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed.”

Sehun glances down to see Vivi tilting his head from one side to another as he looks at the paper in Baekhyun’s hands. It doesn’t take a genius to know that the dog just wants to chew on the advertisement.

“But dog shows are for breeders, they need the recognition the most. What would I do there alone with Vivi?”

“I’d go with you!” Baekhyun whines as he shoves the flashy advertisement into Sehun’s face even more. He's getting unnecessarily desperate with these kind of things.

“That’s not the point,” Sehun rolls his eyes. “I don’t really care about these exhibitions—"

“Dog shows.”

“Dog shows, whatever. And besides, Vivi doesn’t even have the documents to prove its breed. You can’t participate without them.”

Baekhyun’s shoulders slump in defeat.

“He...doesn’t?”

“He’s from the shelter. A lost dog. Did you think he was running around with an ID attached to his neck?”

“Maybe?” Baekhyun hangs on the last hope and Sehun pushes all the papers aside, not interested in checking out any of them.

Some of the papers slide off the table and Vivi rushes to get his teeth on the sheets. Baekhyun motions at the dog. “Look, he’s interested.”

“In tearing them apart,” Sehun laughs when Baekhyun gasps at the sound of paper being ripped.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_30th of April_**

When Vivi’s eyes start getting lost in all the excess fur, Sehun finally takes him to the pet groomer that Jongin had recommended a few weeks ago.

Kyungsoo is really meticulous as he snips away at the whiteness around Vivi’s nose.

Sehun expects Vivi to be at least a little uneasy around a pair of scissors, but he’s relieved to find out that Vivi is actually really patient and obedient, even earning a couple of dog treats from the groomer.

Being a rather shy person, Sehun struggles to make a conversation with Kyungsoo, but it seems like the other is too focused on the task to worry about something so trivial like the silence between them.

Things take a rather funny turn when Sehun runs into his landlady on the way back from the groomer.

Hana stops in her tracks and stares at Vivi for a long time before she finally picks her eyes up to meet Sehun’s gaze.

“Is that Vivi? He looks like a completely different dog,” she says.

Vivi sneezes at that and Sehun can’t help but laugh.

“It’s like a man who had a beard for a long time finally shaves it off, eh? He looks like a baby all over again.”

“He sure does,” Hana agrees and pulls something out of the bag she’s holding. Sehun recognizes the dog treat before it ends up in Vivi’s mouth.

“You bought dog treats for Vivi?”

She doesn’t meet his eyes or answer his question, but Sehun sees the faint blush that covers her cheeks while she rubs Vivi’s head and Vivi hums in delight.

“Geez, we all pamper him too much.”

But Sehun doesn’t even feel ashamed when he says that.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_17th of July; except a few years later_**

The sun hangs high in the sky, blinding anyone who has forgotten their sunglasses at home. The hot day is almost identical to the one when Sehun first talked to the officials of his favorite dance studio, which now has become his second home. First home is always with Vivi, after all.

This time, however, he has different news to tell his boyfriend—and he can’t forget Jongin if he doesn’t want to get nagged for not calling.

Settling in front of the wheel in his car—jeez, simply opening the windows won’t help get the heat out of the vehicle quickly—, Sehun grabs his phone to make sure it’s connected via Bluetooth, so he wouldn’t have to hold it to his ear during the calls.

He dials Chanyeol first, excited to surprise him, but disappointment pricks at his skin when he hears constant beeping, implying that his boyfriend is already talking to someone. Oh well, no surprise there. He’s a famous and busy man. Sehun should’ve gotten used to that a long time ago.

Slightly dispirited, he picks Jongin’s number on the screen and focuses on the road while waiting for the other to pick up. Sehun even manages to reach the main road when Jongin’s groggy voice finally breaks the stream of steady beeps.

“What—? Holy shit, it’s lunch time already.”

Sehun’s mood immediately clears up after hearing that. A small grin even makes its way onto his facial features. Trust Jongin to cheer him up without doing anything.

“And you’re still sleeping?”

An obnoxiously loud yawn comes from the other side and that’s answer enough.

“Wait.”

If Sehun has to guess, then Jongin’s probably narrowing his eyes at something in the distance.

“I know that background noise. It’s from your Bluetooth speaker—please don’t tell me you’re on your way to my place, so you could drag me to hang out.”

Sehun lets out a laugh as he stops by the red light. “I probably would’ve if I didn’t have to go to the dance studio for some important things.”

He emphasizes on the end of the sentence quite a bit and Jongin easily takes the bait.

“What important things?”

“I’m going to be one of the main choreographers for the upcoming competition.” Sehun knows that he can barely hide his excitement.

“Oh, damn, that’s like a huge thing for you, isn’t it? Congratulations, Sehunnie!”

“Thanks, Jongin. It makes me so happy to share this with someone.”

“Haven’t you told Chanyeol yet? He should be the first one to know this!”

He knows that, he knows it all too well.

“I called him first, but the line was busy... Ah, that aside,” Sehun remembers what happened in the morning all of a sudden. “Vivi was acting really strange today.”

“Hm? How strange?”

“He kept barking at me as I was trying to leave. I think I still have a bite mark on my hand.” He looks down to check—and it’s definitely there. “What could have gotten into him?”

“No idea. Bring him over when you’re back? Maybe there’s something wrong with his health, I can check it for you.”

“Sure, Jongin. Oh—Chanyeol’s calling me. I'll text you later.”

Sehun ends the first call before Jongin can bid him goodbye and clears his throat when he hears chattering on the other side.

“Sehun? Sorry, I was busy. You called?”

Chanyeol sounds a little out of breath and Sehun wonders what he’s up to. He doesn’t recall music production requiring that much energy, but he’s not in the mood to pry for an explanation.

“Yeah, I wanted to tell you something. It’s important.”

“Oh? I’m listening.”

Sehun tells Chanyeol the same news that he told Jongin just a little while ago. And when his boyfriend starts congratulating him, he doesn’t shut up for a while. Eyes focused on the road, Sehun grins happily, having forgotten all the worries.

“Oh yeah, Sehun. There’s something I need to tell you as well.”

“Go on,” Sehun hums as he stares at the license plate of the car in front of him.

“Yixing invited us to his wedding.”

Green light. Someone honks and Sehun finally moves his vehicle ahead.

“What?”

“We’re going. As a couple. No buts.”

“But I thought you weren’t comfortable showing me off as your boyfriend, Chanyeol.”

“That’s going to change now. I’m ready to tell the world that you’re the most precious person to me. I want them to know that.”

“Oh...wow.” Sehun doesn’t know what else to say.

“Is that weird?”

Chanyeol sounds a little nervous, much like he did on their first date, and Sehun finds that quite cute.

“No, not at all. I’m just surprised.” He considers asking if Chanyeol knows how much this is going to affect his career, but then he remembers that that knowledge is the exact reason why their relationship was rather private in the first place.

“But are you coming with me?”

“Of course, I am.”

“Hopefully one day we’ll be able to invite Yixing to our wedding as well.”

“And Jongin.”

Sehun doesn’t know why he feels the sudden need to add Jongin’s name there, but his best friend has always been there for him and leaving him out simply feels wrong. He doesn’t want Chanyeol to forget about his friends.

“Your best friend? Of course.”

Sehun’s face lights up like a newly decorated Christmas tree.

“I have to go now. Call me when you’re done with the first meeting, alright? I love you, Sehun.”

“I love you too,” he smiles to himself and reaches over to end the call.

All the problems and stress sorting itself out, it finally feels like Sehun is starting a new chapter in his life. A chapter that’s going to be a lot brighter than all the ones before.

Sure, Vivi has brought a lot of happiness to his life, but many other things were still a mess for him to truly feel happy. Now, it finally feels like his heart is at peace.

_Everything is at peace._

Sehun turns his head to the side when his ears register the nasty sound of wheels sliding across the pavement. Before he can put his foot on the brakes, a much bigger car slams into his side and everything turns black in a single second.

It’s a different kind of peace.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Vivi doesn’t understand what’s happening.

First of all, the one who comes back home isn’t Sehun, but Chanyeol. And second, the redness in his eyes doesn’t look like the usual strain from sleep deprivation. The puffiness reminds Vivi of that one time when Sehun had clear liquid leaking out of his eyes during a sad scene of a movie. Tears.

But where’s Sehun? Bark.

Vivi watches Chanyeol sit down on the couch and take his head into his hands. He looks extremely stressed. Unfortunately, Vivi doesn’t have the ability to speak human language, so he’s unable to ask about it.

And there’s only one thing he’s curious about.

Sehun. Whine.

“I should’ve spent more time with him. I should’ve—Gosh, I was so lost in work and now I lost him. I can never get him back.”

Head tilted to the side, Vivi attempts to understand Chanyeol’s words, but to no avail.

At some point, the dog had gotten used to guessing what Sehun wanted from him when he expressed it verbally, but Chanyeol is still speaking alien language to him. They have never spent enough time together for Vivi to get used to Chanyeol’s existence.

The uneasy feeling in Vivi’s gut doesn’t go away. Where’s Sehun? Louder bark.

It seems like Chanyeol finally notices Vivi’s presence because he picks up his eyes from the floor and they light up just the tiniest bit when he sees the dog before going back to looking incredibly sad. The man stretches out his hands to pick up the dog and Vivi doesn’t fight back when he’s pressed against a broad chest.

A gentle swipe of the tongue across Chanyeol’s cheek and Vivi’s sure that the man has been crying. Tears are salty and he recognizes the taste immediately. But why would Chanyeol cry? Is he hurt somewhere?

More importantly—where’s Sehun? Whine.

“I’m sorry, Vivi. I couldn’t protect him for you. He’s gone.”

Chanyeol is looking straight into Vivi’s eyes, his expression sullen, but Vivi doesn’t understand.

Where is Sehun?

When is he coming back?

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_23th of July_**

A whole week passes, but Sehun doesn’t return.

In the meantime, Vivi waits.

Chanyeol comes over more often than ever nowadays and takes Vivi for walks, but after walking outside for five minutes, Vivi insists on going back home and waiting by the door in case Sehun returns.

He always returns. Why wouldn’t he?

This time, however, they run into Hana and Baekhyun in the hallway. They look really sad too.

What’s up with everyone? Did everyone get hurt in some way?

What if Sehun’s hurt too?

“Are you going to take care of him?” Baekhyun asks.

“I don’t know. We don’t seem to get along,” Chanyeol tugs Vivi’s leash a bit as he talks. “And I’ll have to return to work at some point. I don’t think I can take care of him well.”

Vivi doesn’t care about their conversation. He just wants to go home and check if Sehun has returned.

“If you can’t take him, then Baekhyun could take care of him. Vivi seemed to accept him as a friend,” Hana speaks up and turns to look at Baekhyun, waiting for agreement or any kind of a reaction.

“You’d let me keep a dog?”

“If it’s Vivi, yeah.”

Being called by the name is enough to draw Vivi’s attention back to the three people behind him, but none of them are Sehun and he just wants to hear Sehun calling his name again. It often rings in his head, but it’s nowhere near enough. Vivi wants to hear the real thing.

“Are you sure?”

“Well, if Hana says so, then yeah. I can take care of him.”

“Thank you so much. I’m sure Sehun would want him in good hands and I’m good for nothing. I was too busy for him.”

At that, Vivi turns his head and jogs back to Chanyeol’s feet. Does he know anything about Sehun?

“Don’t beat yourself up for it. The accident wasn’t your fault,” Hana crouches down to extend her hand towards Vivi and Vivi gladly rubs his head against her soft palm. “Besides, it looks like he’s still waiting for him. Perhaps it’s better if he waits somewhere near his home.”

Why won’t anyone tell him where Sehun is?

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_28th of July_**

Chanyeol doesn’t come anymore and Vivi ends up in Baekhyun’s care.

The bowls with food and water are always full, but the dog barely touches it. Vivi only picks up bits of food into his mouth when his stomach starts hurting and he only sticks his tongue into fresh water when his mouth feels too dry for a bark when he hears someone walking outside of the apartment.

When Baekhyun takes him for a walk, Vivi always walks the opposite way and sits by the door to Sehun’s apartment instead. Baekhyun has to pick him up and bring him outside and Vivi doesn’t resist much. He just doesn’t have the energy to.

Once they’re back, Vivi settles down on the doormat that’s not Baekhyun’s and the man heaves a sigh of defeat.

“Vivi, you can’t sit there. Let’s go home,” Baekhyun tries to talk sweet, but the gentle voice doesn’t reach Vivi’s ears anymore.

If people aren’t telling him where Sehun is, he’s not interested in whatever they have to say.

“I’m afraid that home for that dog isn’t where he lives. It’s where that boy lived and where Vivi waited for him every single day. What Sehun called home—that’s Vivi’s home too. We can’t just change that easily.”

Hana’s voice is so sweet. Vivi loves getting head rubs from Hana while getting called a good boy. But she doesn’t do that as much anymore. If she stops to rub Vivi’s head, she doesn’t say anything anymore. There’s only a sad expression on her face.

“What should I do? Are you telling me to move to this apartment?”

“No, I think you should just let him be.”

“What?”

“Let him wait like that.”

“But aren’t you going to rent that apartment? People are going to be weirded out if they find a dog napping on their doormat. Besides, I don’t think it’s good for Vivi to believe that he’s still alive.”

“Dogs aren’t people, Baekhyun. You can’t just tell a dog that his owner is dead and expect them to move on.”

“Okay, but what about the new people?”

“I’m not putting that apartment for rent for now. If I do in the future, I’ll let you know and we can think of a different solution then. For now, just let him wait.”

“Hana… What’s up with you? You’re not acting like a landlady.”

“Because I am human before I am a landlady.”

Their bickering falls on deaf ears as Vivi focuses on the distinct sound of the elevator going up and down, doors closing on the floors above and people resting their bags on the floor while searching for keys.

Vivi’s sure that if he waits long enough, he will hear Sehun’s footsteps too. He wouldn’t mix them up with anything.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_4th of August_**

A week later, Vivi wakes up to a familiar sound. It’s not Sehun, but it’s someone very precious to Sehun.

“Oh, Vivi.”

Closing his eyes again, Vivi enjoys the head rubs that Jongin provides. His hands are warm and gentle.

“What are you doing here in the hallway?” He asks softly.

Wishing to respond with a small bark, but not having the voice to do so, Vivi gets up and stretches slowly before dipping his nose into the water bowl that either Baekhyun or Hana refill when it’s empty.

The water goes down his throat easily and Vivi lets out a pleased sound before rubbing his head against Jongin’s knee. He misses him.

“Are you still waiting for Sehunnie?”

A little bark.

The corners of Jongin’s lips quirk up into a tiny smile.

“Do you mind if I wait here with you?”

Jongin takes off his jacket and spreads it on the cold floor by the door, taking a seat on it. He pats his lap then and Vivi doesn’t hesitate to climb on it, even if it takes a little while due to the lack of energy. Gentle fingers get tangled in messy fur once again.

They stay like that for a while and Jongin’s presence really puts Vivi at ease.

“You loved him, didn’t you, Vivi?”

The tiniest bark echoes through the empty hallway.

“I did too.”

Vivi picks his head up to look at Jongin.

“I didn’t have the guts to tell him at first. When I had finally mustered up the courage, it was too late. He had Chanyeol in his life and I was left with a bunch of regrets. I couldn’t even bring myself to dance with him anymore, can you believe how pathetic I was, Vivi?”

Jongin lets out a laugh and Vivi shifts in his hold, rubbing his head against Jongin’s stomach. The dog has a feeling that his friend needs comfort right now and he focuses on providing exactly that. Sehun wouldn’t want Jongin to suffer.

Vivi clearly remembers Sehun telling Vivi to protect Jongin instead of barking at him aggressively.

“I should’ve told him how I felt when I still had the chance. Now I don’t even have that. That chance will never come again.”

The head rubs turn a bit slower.

“I don’t want to move on either, Vivi. So, let’s wait for him. Even if it takes forever.”

Vivi falls asleep to the sound of Jongin’s soft humming.

  
  
  
  
  
  


—

Yixing continues staring into space long after Chanyeol finishes telling the story.

“You have to write a song about that,” he says when he finally snaps out of it. “If Vivi was really that important to Sehun, then this is going to be the best anniversary gift to him.”

Chanyeol heaves a sigh as he stretches his arms above his head. “I don’t know. It’s not an easy one to write.”

“But you did great telling the story. I’m sure you can write the song as well. Just give it a try.” Yixing forces a pen into Chanyeol’s hand and shoves it towards the empty notebook. “By the way, where’s the dog now?”

“He passed away a few years after Sehun’s accident. Jongin said it was depression and malnutrition. He refused to eat or exercise properly and when he fell asleep waiting for Sehun one day, he just didn’t wake up anymore.”

Yixing’s eyes get a little watery when he hears that. “Oh, that’s sad.”

“Maybe for us,” Chanyeol shrugs. “But I’m sure they’re together now. And I have less than two days to write a song about that.”

Surprised by the unusual positivity, Yixing stares at his friend in silence while Chanyeol scribbles something in his notebook again. If he looks harder, he notices “I miss you, Sehunnie” written in the tiniest font in the corner of the sheet.

Maybe Chanyeol pretends to be all serious and mature when he’s at work, but Yixing knows how soft and kind-hearted his friend really is behind that mask.

“He misses you too,” Yixing mumbles under his breath, nowhere near loud enough for the other to hear.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. Just focus on the song, you marshmallow.”


End file.
